Google starts serving uncensored results to China

Despite China's warnings, Google has proceeded with plans to stop censoring its services in the country. Starting today, the company is redirecting users of Google.cn to Google.com.hk where Google Search, Google News, and Google Images are uncensored in simplified Chinese. Google notes that the additional load on its Hong Kong servers may result in some slowdowns or temporary outages, but that should clear up once the transition is complete.

The Chinese government is undoubtedly displeased with Google's decision, and forewarned that the company would face "consequences" if it disregarded Chinese regulations. Repercussions for violating the country's wishes have not been thoroughly outlined, but Google says its services could be blocked at any time. Users in the area might want to bookmark this page, which shows the status of Google services in mainland China.

In the meantime, Google intends to continue R&D as well as maintain a sales presence in China.